


Back to Us

by DMichelleWrites



Series: Ficlets [35]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 18:17:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16000703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DMichelleWrites/pseuds/DMichelleWrites
Summary: Can Oliver and Felicity ever return to the old them after Oliver's return from prison? They've been broken by Diaz, the city, the corruption, and FBI, and it's changed them forever. Find out how much on yet another interrupted date night with the Queens.





	Back to Us

Donna Smoak picked at her recently chipped pale pink manicure. Oliver and Felicity were still puttering around the apartment, getting ready for their date night. If she was honest, Donna was nervous as her friend Dan, who worked at Chippendales in a synagogue. This was the most time Donna had ever spent with her grandson since Oliver and Felicity’s wedding reception.

“Hey, kiddo.” His father checked in, buttoning up his army green cargo jacket, “Homework done?”

William said, “Of course. I’m just going to leave it on Felicity’s desk.”

“Well, hm… Maybe I can help, William.”

Felicity pursed her lips, “Um, mom. It’s AP geometry. I can handle it.”

“It’s usually their thing.” Oliver placed a comforting hand on his mother-in-law’s shoulder. A dimple prodded his cheek, “I don’t understand it much either.”

The blonde hacker listed, “No inviting your friends over without permission, no wild parties, movies are strictly PG-13, we’ll allow violence, no nudity or sex scenes, no drinking, and no calling the psychic hotline.”

William appeared utterly confused, eyebrows knitting together.

“You know I never much of any of that stuff, Felicity.” Her step-son tapped the cover of his book, “I was just planning on finishing this last chapter and maybe play some video games.”

Oliver grinned, “We know.”

“Those rules are for you, Mom.” Her daughter informed, squatting down to eye level.

Donna stuck her tongue out, “Fun sucker.”

“Love you, mama.”

Her mom suggested, “I’m sure I can whip us something yummy for dinner.”

“Oh, oh, No, that’s okay.” William said a little too quickly, knowing full well his bubbe was a worse cook than his step-mom, “Dad made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.” He mouthed silently to his father, “Thank you.”

Oliver replied with a cheeky subtle wink.

His wife snorted out a laugh, leading her man toward the door, “We’ll be back no later than eleven. I added the number to the restaurant, pest control, poison control, and PG&E just in case.”

“We’ll be fine, Felicity.” echoed Donna and William.

“Okay, Queen.” His wife announced, “Let’s go before we miss our reservation.”

Their fingertips interlaced as they walked through the hallway. His thumb padded against the cool metal of her engagement ring and wedding band, diamond prodding his fingertip. He feels the weight of his own ring shoved into his pocket in a good way. 

Since his release from prison, Oliver and Felicity were forever changed. They were distance as if the couple was two strangers getting to know each other again. Many nights were either spent on a couch or in Felicity’s case, a cold empty bed. 

Their struggles with PTSD kept one another at arm’s length. Oliver couldn’t bear the thought of accidentally harming Felicity, recalling the night he returned home from Lian Yu. He didn’t mean to because he thought she was yet another enemy he had to thwart, though he ended up choking her. Oliver couldn’t live with himself if he had done the same to his wife. On the hand, Felicity needed time to process, to cry, to accept her husband back into their lives. Those fears, angers, and pain all led to shouting match filled with apologies and finally resulted in desperate, passionate, and amazing sex on the kitchen counter.

“You okay?” Oliver spoke up, pulling Felicity out of her thoughts, “You zoned out for a minute.”

She promised, “I’m just.. I’m right here with you.”

Her head nestled into the crook of his neck. The conversation wouldn’t be forgotten, although they put it on pause. He tossed her a crimson helmet. His Ducati engine rumbled, startling their elderly neighbor on the first floor.

“Sorry, Mrs. Rodriguez.”

Felicity giggled, holding him tight, “Let’s hit the road.”

Oliver’s motorcycle streaked across street by street until they caught a light flow of traffic on Starling Bridge. The cables lit up, and something about the night air coupled with bright lights always brought a smile to Felicity’s face. It kind of reminded her of being home in Vegas. They stopped at Shabu Shabu — a popular Japanese restaurant with some of the best seafood and sushi this side of Washington.

Oliver opened the door for his wife, and went up the hostess, “Queen, party of two.”

Felicity never tired of hearing that. The older woman led the pair to their table. They order light crab appetizers before the main course fresh ahi tuna and an array of various different sushi. Oliver caught Felicity staring at him as she took a big gulp of her club soda. The carbonation made her erupt with a loud belch.

“Excuse me.” She blushed, patting her lips with a napkin.

Oliver laughed, “You’re cute.”

“Tell me something I do..”

Felicity was cut off by Oliver’s lips, slanting over hers in a chaste kiss.

She wiped her lip gloss from his mouth, “You’re something else, Queen.”

“Hey, that’s my line.” Oliver joked, stealing a second kiss before the waiter checked in on their meals.

Felicity squeezed his arm. There really was something about him under the soft glow of lantern and candlelight, Oliver looked as if he was the brightest, clearest, and only person in that room with her. Felicity appeared just as angelic to him.

Felicity whispered in his ear, “That jacket looks really good on you. Green is definitely your color.”

In truth, Oliver was the whole package. The green jacket accentuated his muscles and that sky blue t-shirt brought out the blue in his eyes. However, it was the sexy smile that brought the whole look together. Thank god, he got rid of that douchebag looking goatee a few weeks ago, though “Bob the Beard: as Felicity dubbed him felt interesting buried between her thighs.

“I love when you wear those earrings.” He crooned in a low tone, “You look beautiful.”

He nibbled on her earlobe, and that did all sorts of things to her. She bit back a moan, hand sweeping down his hair. Their PDA was short lived when glass shattering interrupted their peaceful evening.

Cheetah, also known as, Barbara Ann Minerva, what her foe Diana Prince would call an alchemist gone rogue experiment with animals and ancient magic from the Themyscira Goddesses.

Cheetah nearly coughed up a hairball when she spotted the happy couple. All customers and restaurant staff fled for their lives.

“Love makes me sick,” the villainess hissed.

Felicity sniped, “Color me surprised. What’s the matter, pretty kitty. Need something to eat?”

The cat taunted, “Hey, roomie.”

“What?” Oliver’s forehead crinkled.

His wife swore in a quick breath, “I’ll explain later. We have to stop her.”

Okay, so Felicity may have had to neglected to tell her husband one night when Overwatch and Spartan resumed their vigilante duties. That mission landed her in a cell at Iron Heights for hacking satellites hovering over the Pentagon. Thankfully, her actions were pardoned within twenty-four hours with help from Madame President Susan Brayden. Oliver took on two big burly bodyguards at Cheetah’s left and right flank. Cheetah was all Felicity’s. The women were smaller fighters, moving swiftly, dodging blow for blow. A claw scratch dug into her bicep until it drew blood.

“Feli..” Oliver called out, correcting himself, “Overwatch!”

She took a sharp breath, removing criss-crossed katanas from the charcoal colored walls, “I’m fine, Green Arrow. Catch!”

One sword cut through the air. Oliver knocked one guard to the floor with a kick. He spun and had the other assailant in a headlock. Cheetah attempted to pounce on the heroine akin to prey, but Felicity jumped, elbowed her at the back of the head, and kneed the evil cat-like creature to the floor.

Pinning her wrists, Felicity’s eyes darkened as if she experienced Thea’s bloodlust, “Yield!”

“Never!” She choked out with a Cheshire grin.

Felicity growled, this close to pressing the blade into her neck.

Police sirens and flashing lights outside the eatery were the only thing stopping Felicity from ending things permanently. Her rage quelled with each heavy breath. They walked out of there with some bumps, cuts, and bruises. Though wait until the cops saw the other guys and girl.

The rough pads of Oliver’s thumb scraped against her dried bloody knuckles.

“Honey, I…” Oliver started.

Felicity deflected with a joke, “Well, that certainly made for an interesting date night.”

“Really?” Her man said incredulously, “That’s all you have to say?”

She used humor again, “At least nothing exploded this time.”

“Baby, that’s not what I meant.”

Felicity’s gaze flickered down to her ring, “Huh? I wonder if Windex will get the blood off my bling.”

“Okay, you and I are going to have a long conversation when we get home.”

“Nothing good ever follows that sentence.” His wife acknowledged with a head shake.

The tension between them was them was thicker than fog at Starling Bay. Donna greeted them with a horrified gasp. However, the pair reassured Donna they were fine and had Lily’s husband Chris take the usually bright blonde back to her hotel suite. They peeked in on William, who was sound asleep, or so they that. When the door slid shut, he stared at the photo of the three of them on his nightstand with relief. Donna had quite the scary glare when she left the apartment without a word. Oliver and Felicity cleaned up and locked their bedroom door, prepared to lay all on the table.

“I am so proud of you tonight, Felicity, but…”

She grimaced, “Oh, I should’ve known there was going to be a but coming.”

“You need to learn to control, this power you have inside you. You are so strong in so many ways, and I won’t let you lose yourself with this vendetta we have against Diaz.”

“Let me, Oliver. You never  _let me_ do anything. I’m my own woman.”

“I know.” He scrubbed his face, “God, this is coming out all wrong.”

Felicity’s hand settled on her cocked hip, “So what are you trying to say? You trained me. You taught me.”

“Yes.” Her husband recalled all too well, “But don’t forget the part of you, that makes you, you, Felicity. You have a light inside you, and I..”

“Damn it, Oliver. I’m not a fucking solar panel. Please cut the crap on the light metaphor.”

He sighed heavily, “Felicity.”

This was getting them nowhere. They were alone in their dark bedroom, feeling like they were going a couple rounds in a boxing ring. She sat, sinking at the end of the bed. Felicity observed every bruise and cut on her knuckles as gleams of moon and ambient light careened through a sliver in the curtain.

“Felicity, talk to me.”

There was something going in that beautiful mind of hers, and he intended to find out.

Squeezing his shoulder, his wife reminded, “We can’t go back to the way things were. I told you I have to fight back, and I will do whatever it takes to keep our family safe.  Diaz, the FBI, this city, they broke us. They hurt all of us, but only we can put ourselves back together.”

“I understand. I get that we will never be the same, but what I saw in you tonight scared the Hell out of me.”

Rising up from her spot, her hips met his, “How many times do I have to say I can handle it?”

“I have no doubt that you’re capable, but I don’t think you’re ready.”

“What the Hell is that supposed to mean?”

Despite the fact that his wife brimmed with anger like a jungle cat, Oliver cupped her face gently, “I see what this life has done to us, but I feel you slipping away. I feel you succumbing to the darkness. You lost your focus.”

She growled, “That’s not true.”

“Oh, no?” His eyebrow quirked, “When you had Cheetah on the floor, I saw this look in your eyes. You wanted to kill her.”

“You’re one to talk when you first put that Hood on, and played judge, jury, and executioner.”

“But that’s not who you are, Baby. When we fight, we fight together, and sometimes that means making difficult choices. But I am begging you, don’t lose that part of you that made us fall in love in the first place. Don’t let what Diaz did take your humanity.”

Felicity bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes, “What if I can’t?”

“You can. Just let me be there for you the same you were for me.”

Felicity stepped out onto the balcony, hugging her body tight. Oliver draped Felicity’s purple hoodie over her before he zipped his own green one. Oliver held her close, nose pressing into her hair as he inhaled her scent. Tears slid down her face when she wondered if this city was really worth saving. The one thing they both knew is that they would protect their family at all costs.

“What’s happening to us?” She sniffled, using her sleeve as a tissue.

“Being a hero doesn’t come without pain, sacrifice, and some bad decisions. I think the Green Arrow is the world’s leading expert on that. That’s what you are, Felicity, a real hero.”

Felicity’s chuckle broke through a small sob, and she certainly didn’t disagree.

“So now what?”

He answered honestly, “I don’t know, but we’ll figure it out together.”

“Always,” His wife whispered, swaying in his arms.

They stood together on the balcony, letting tonight’s events wash over them as the couple looked out at the city skyline.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews and Kudos are appreciated.  
> Say hey, and please let me know what you think in the comments.  
> Tumblr: [DMichelleWrites](http://dmichellewrites.tumblr.com/)  
> Twitter: [@dmichellewrites](https://twitter.com/dmichellewrites)


End file.
